Steam forcing-machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. A. PEARSON. STEAM FORGIIfIG MACHINE.

No. 503,354. Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

2 'Iyl.

awe/Min, 14 W, Eamon (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. A. PEARSON. STEAM PORGING MACHINE.

No. 503,354. Patented Aug. 15,1893.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. A. PEAR-SON. STEAM'FORGING MACHINE.

No. 503,354. Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

Jul"

IIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIHIIHM' 'l 1i Ill a/bilorlwzgly I UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

\VILLIAM PEARSON, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM FORGING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,354, dated August15, 1893.

Application filed October 7, 1892.

Serial No. 448,158. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. PEARSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SteamForging Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved forging machine for the manufactureof car wheels and similar articles from blanks of malleable metal, suchas steel or iron.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of my specification,Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine, parts being broken away toshow the internal construction. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line :na2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is acentral sectional view of the dies and adjacent parts inclosing a wheelblank. Fig. 5 shows the wheel center raised to permit the solid diskunder the hub to be exchanged for the punch die. Fig. 6 is a similarviewshowing the punch in place ready to be struck by the upper die. Fig. 7shows the position of the parts after the punch has been driven through.Fig. 8 shows the solid disk replaced under the hub and a cylindricalblock within the hub, the parts being in position to receive thefinishing stroke or strokes which correct any distortion of the wheelcenter caused by the punch. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the punchhead. Fig. 10 is a side view ofthe punch proper, and Fig. 11 is anenlarged central section of the cylinder and piston of the hydrauliclift.

My invention is particularly adapted for forging articles which requireconsiderable force and great accuracy in the forging machinery.

Many of the features of the invention hereinafter described areespecially adapted to the manufacture of car wheel centers while otherfeatures have a more general use in the art of forging. It will beunderstood that in claiming features of the latter class I desire tocover them for all purposes to which they may be applicable.

It has been common in steam hammers, steam forges and the like to use alight piston rod and concentrate the necessary weight in the tup on theend of the piston rod which carries the die, or in the hammer head, thetup or ham mer head being guided throughout the stroke. I have found inpractice that such as arrangement is both costly and inconvenient forthe reason that every stroke of the hammer or die imparts a shock and aquivering movement to'the piston rod, causing it to crystallize andeventually to break, and entailing heavy expense for renewal besidesconsiderable delay to the works.

Another old construction is that in which the weight necessary forstriking the blow is in the piston rod which is made of large diameter,and the hammer head or tup and the piston are made comparatively light.In this variety of hammers the piston rod is relied upon to guide thehammer or die to the proper point. For the purpose of making car wheelcenters and other forms requiring great accuracy in the application ofthe die I have found that such a piston can not be depended upon unaidedby guides. In the apparatus hereinafter described however I havecombined a comparatively light piston and tup or die holder with astrong and heavy piston rod, and I have provided guides for the tup ordie which guide it during its entire stroke so that the blow of the dieis delivered with the utmost accuracy, while at the same time the pistonrod is practically indestructible, and the blow is more effectivebecause the weight is concentrated in the piston directly above theblank instead of overhanging the blank as is the case where the Weightis in the tup.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the steam cylinder which issupported upon a suitable frame-work. The cylinder is provided withsteam ports 2 the lower port being at the extreme lower end of thecylinder and the upper port being located at some distance below theupper end of the cylinder for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The slide valve and various connections between said valve and the handlever for controlling the machine may be of any desired construction.Those shown in the accompanying drawings are not of my invention andneed not therefore be particularly described.

The piston 3 is preferably made integral with the piston rod 4 and it isconstructed as light as possible considering the strains to which it issubjected. In order to prevent the periphery of the piston from beingbent downward due to the sudden arrest ofits motion, the piston rod ispreferably fiared out where it joins the piston as shown at 5, thusproviding a better support for the latter. The piston rod is preferablyhollow, experience having shown that this form is more durable than asolid rod. The upper and lower ends of the rod are permanently closed byplugs 6. To the lower end of the piston rod is connected a tup '7 inanysuitable manner. As shown in the drawings a slightly tapered bushing8 surrounds the piston rod, and the tup, which has a correspondinglytapered opening, is se cured thereto either by driving or shrinking itupon the tapered bushing. The tup is designed to hold the die and it isonly large enough to give it sufficient strength, its weight beinginconsiderable in comparison with the weight of the piston rod. As bestseen in Fig.

3 the tup is provided at its ends with vertical grooves S which fitvertical guideways 10 upon the main frame. These guideways extend theentire length of the stroke of the tup, thus preventing any vibration ofthe die and directing it with accuracy.

The dies for forming the forging (which in the present instance is awheel center) and the punch for punching the central hole will now bedescribed. The upper die 11 is rigidly connected to the tup. As shownthe connection is formed by dove-tailing a shank 12 of the die into thelower surface of the tup. The die is held from movement in one directionby a dowel block 13 which occupies a recess formed partly in the tup andpartly in the shank 12. On the side of the shank opposite the dowel pina slightly tapered key 14 is inserted, thus preventing any"movement ofthe die in the other direction and securing it rigidly to the tup. Thelower surface of the die conforms to the desired contour of one side ofthe wheel center. A novel feature of this upper die consists in acentral teat or projection 15 upon the face of the die which forms acorresponding depression in the hub of the blank adapted to center andhold the punch which is afterward used to form the hole through the hub.The Wheel center is formed within an annular matrix 16, the inner face17 of which is tapered and conforms exactly to the peripheral surface ofthe finished wheel center. This matrix rests upon a shoulder orshoulders of the lower die 18. The lower die has a vertical Well 19directly beneath the hub of the blank and about equal in diameter tosaid hub. The upper surface of the die between-the well and the matrixis shaped to correspond with the contour of the under side 'of the wheelcenter. The lower die 18 rests upon an anvil block 20 to which it issecured in any suitable manner. The securing devices are preferably thesame as those above described for attaching the upper die to the tup.

Within the well 19 and suitably supported is a solid disk 21 upon whichthe hub of the wheel center is formed and which really forms a part ofthe lower die when in place. I

rests upon the anvil block 20. The parts 23 y and 2t may be eitherintegral or separate, as desired. The parts 21 and 22 fit closely withinthe well but are removable therefrom. The parts 23 and 24 are notdesigned to be removable except for repairs. The upper end of thecup-shaped disk has a peripheral flange and the lower ends of the punchdie and solid disk are reduced so as to fit within the flange andaccurately center said die and disk.

Beneath the cup shaped disk 22 and within the cylindrical support 23 isa hydraulic lift of peculiar construction which Ishall now describe. Thepiston 25 of the lift is stationary and supported by a hollow piston rod26 which rests upon the anvil block. The piston and rod maybe integraland the opening in the piston rod extends from the upper side of thepiston nearly to the lower end of the rod and at its lower end it isconnected with a pipe 27 which conveys water or oil under pressure tooperate the lift. The piston follower 27 is screwed into a threadedrecess in the upper surface of the piston, and a packing ring ofasbestus 30 is confined between the flange 28 and the piston proper. Iprefer to .nse asbestus for the reason that other materials suitable forpacking soon become burned out and useless. Fittingloosely within thecylindrical support 23 and surrounding the piston is a cylinder 31closed at its upper end. Upon the lower end of the cyl: in der is a nut32 screwed or otherwise attached thereto having an inwardly projectingflange or shoulder 33 adapted to engage the under side of the pistonwhen the cylinder is forced upward and thus limit its motion and preventit from being forced off of the piston. The cylinder at the lower end ofits travel rests upon the follower 27. If the upper face of the followerwere of the same diameter as the piston the hammering action of thelatter would spread the nut and soon c'auseit to work tightly or preventit working altogether in the cylinder. To obviate this I bevelorotherwise cut away the upper edge of the follower. As shown arectangular portion is cut away thus leaving the flange 28.

After the wheel center is forged with a solid hub as shown in Fig itheupper dieis raised and the wheel center and disks 21 and 22 afterwardelevated by means of the hydraulic lift. The wheel is then sustainedtemporarily and moved to one side by a suspended forked lever, handledby workmen, while, a punch die 35 is substituted for the solid disk 21.The wheel center is then replaced in the matrix anda punch 36 placedupon the depression formed by theprojection 15. The

punch 36 has upon its upper end a cylindrical projection and asurrounding shoul- ITO der 51. The punch die 35 is cylindrical outsideand its inner opening is tapered and slightly larger at the bottom thanat the top. When in place it rests upon the cup shaped disk 22 in thesame manner as the solid disk 21. The punch is also tapered beingslightly larger at the lower end than at the upper end. A head 37 has arecess in its under surface which fits upon the cylindrical projection50 of the punch and a flange 52 surrounding the recess and adapted toregister with the shoulder 51. The projection 50 and the correspondingrecess in the head serve to center the punch and punch head and toprevent the punch from spreading under the impact of the die. The uppersurface of the head is formed with a depression 38 in which the teat orprojection 15 fits.

In order to prevent the piston from striking and injuring the uppercylinder head t0 the following devices are employed. In the head isformed an opening 41 having a valve seat which is covered by a valve 42having a stem 43 projecting into the cylinder to such an extent that thepiston comes in contact with it just as it passes and closes the uppersteam port 2. Above the valve is a chamber at which is constantlysupplied with steam under pressure through a pipe 15. As shown the stemof the valve is provided with ribs 46 which fit the cylindrical openingin the cylinder head and form guides therefor. The valve is normallyheld to its seat by the pressure of the steam in the chamber 44.. Aspring 47 bearing upon the valve may be added for additional security ifdesired.

The lower cylinder head and stuffing box are cast integral with thecylinder. In order to keep the water of condensation in the lower end ofthe cylinder away from the piston packing I provide a circular groove 51in the upper face of the cylinder head 52, and a drip passage 53 leadingto a drip pipe 54.

The operation of the machine is as follows: A billet of metal suitablyheated is placed upon thelower die within the matrix, the solid disk 21beingin place as shown in Fig. 4,and the upper die is brought down withsuitable force one or more times until the wheel center is formed asshown in said figure. The upper die is then lifted and the wheel centerand the disks 21 and 22 raised by means of the hydraulic lift. The wheelcenter is then temporarily sustained and moved to one side by asuspended forked lever or other suitable device while the punch die 35is substituted for the solid disk 21. The wheel center is then placedupon the punch die and lowered into the matrix, the punch die sinkinginto the well as shown in Fig. 6. The larger end of the punch is thenplaced in the recess formed by the projection 15 of the upper die andthe said die moved carefully down until it rests upon the head 37, theprojection 15 fitting in the recess in said head. A light pressure ofthe upper die sets the wheel cen ter and the punch firmly and correctlyin place after which the upper die is brought down several times withconsiderable force thus driving the punch through the hub as shown inFig. 7. The punching 39 is forced through into the punch die andsometimes partly into the cup shaped disk The upper die is then raised,and wheel center lifted out of the matrix and carried to one sidetemporarily upon the forked lever as above described. Vheu the wheelcenteris raised the punch drops out owing to its tapered construction.The punch die 35 together with the punching 39 are then removed and thesolid disk 21 placed upon the disk 22. The hydraulic lift is thenlowered, the wheel center replaced in the matrix, and a cylindricalblock 50 slightly shorter than the thickness of the hub is placed withinthe central opening as shown in Fig.8. The upper die is then againbrought down to correct any distortion of the forging due to thepunching operation. The punch die is again substituted for the soliddisk and the block 50 forced into it by a smaller punch, which completesthe operations. The forging is then removed from the matrix by means ofthe hydraulic lift and the forked lever as before described and a newbillet substituted. The entire cycle of operations above outlined occupybut a few minutes and they are performed while the metal retainssufficient heat for forging so that no reheating is necessary after thebillet is placed in the machine.

The operation of the safety device at the upper end of the cylinder isas follows: Steam is constantly admitted to the chambered above thevalve 4L2. Ordinarily the piston does not rise high enough to raise thevalve. But if for any reason, such as carelessness on the part of theoperator, the piston should rise above the port2 the valve 42 would beopened and steam admitted to prevent the piston from striking the pistonhead. The under surface of the piston is reduced by the section of thelarge piston, and therefore the efiect of the steam above is muchgreater than underneath and the piston is easily stopped.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts shown and described, I claim-- 1. The combination in a forgingmachine with the main frame, of a cylinder supported bythe frame, anenlarged piston rod forming the weight necessary for striking the blow,said piston rod having a comparatively light piston and tup attachedthereto, and guide ways upon the main frame constructed to guide the tupduring its entire stroke, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a forging machine with the main frame, and ananvil, of an en larged piston rod forming the weight neces* sary forstriking the blow, a comparatively light piston and tup upon said rod,guideways upon the main frame for guiding the tup throughout its stroke,and a pair of dies, one

IIO

of said dies being connected to the tup and the otherto the anvil,substantially as described. V

3. The combination in a machine for forging, of a lower die, an upperdie having a proection adapted to produce a depression in the forgingfor centering a punch, a tapered punch having its larger end constructedto fit said depression, and a separablehead for the punch having asimilar depression to receive the projection on the die, said die beingthus adapted for use as a hammer for the punch, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a machine for forging, the combination with the upper die and witha punch, of

the lower die provided with an interchange able punch die and soliddisk, substantially as described. 5. In amachine for forgingthecombination with the-upper die having a projection 15, and with thepunch, of the lower die havinga well and the interchangeable punch dieand soliddisk, both adapted to fit withinthe well, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a machine for forging the combination with the lower die having awell, of a hydraulic lift in the lower part of the well, thelnterchangeable punch die and solid disk fitting within the upper partof the well, and a suitable support for said die and disk, substantiallyas described. V

7. The combination with the lower die having a well, of the cup shapeddisk arranged upon a suitable support within the well and having aperipheral flange at its upper edge, and the interchangeable punch dieand solid disk having their lower ends reduced to fit within the flangeof the cup-shaped disk, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the upper die, the punch having a cylindricalprojection and a shoulder upon its upper end, and the punch head havinga recess on its lower side adapted to fit upon the projection and aflange fitting upon the shoulder of the punch, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination of the upper die havng a projection, the punch havinga head 1nto which said projection fits, the lower die scribed.

10. In a forging machine the combination of the lower die having a well,and a hydraulic lift consisting of a movable cylinder fitting loosely inthe well, and a stationary hollow piston and piston rod resting upon theanvil, substantially as described.

11. In a forging machine the combination with the lower (lie having awell and a hydraulic lift in said well surrounded by a cylindricalsupport of the cup-shaped disk resting upon said supporuand theinterchangeable punch die and solid disk, each adapted to fit within thewell and to be centered upon the cup shaped disk, substantially asdescribed. F

12. In a forging machine the combination with the lower die having awell of the cylindrical base and support 23, 24, at the bot- 'tom of thewell, and the hydraulielift consisting of a movable cylinder fittingloosely within said base and support, and a stationary hollow piston andpiston rod within the cylinder and resting upon the anvil, substantiallyasdescribed.

13. In a forging machine the combination with the die having a well, ofa hydraulic lift within the well consisting of ahollow pis ton rodresting upon the anvil of the die, a piston at the upper end of thepiston rod, a follower upon the upper side of the piston having areduced end to receive the blows of the cylinder, an asbestus packingring between the follower and the piston, a movable cylinder surroundingthe piston and closed at its upper end, and an inwardly projectingfiange orshoulder at the lower end of the cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. PEARSON.

Witnesses:

, J. A. WATsoN,

WM. E. NEFF.

